People thought that they could switch to internet streaming services to bypass the cost of cable.... nope.... as soon as a company realizes that what they are selling has a greater value, they up the cost. Instead of selling shows to amazon, hulu or Netflix, now every media creator wants to have their own streaming service.... cbs has one, Disney has one, ect..... so eventually someone will come along selling packages of the media creators that you can add to a plan.... and you'll have.... cable again, only with a different name.
It's unfortunate, but I don't see this whole mess ending any other way.
I'm "cutting the cord" this month. Moving from local Spectrum cable service with internet to centurylink fiber for internet, ps vue for live channels, antenna with HDHomeRun for local live channels, and of course Netflix and Amazon. I will get Showtime and HBO from Amazon, but I could get it from PS Vue as well. I will still have every channel I had on cable for about $70 less per month total and I get gigabit internet as a bonus. The downside is I will have a minimum of 4 apps to run to get it all, but it can all be done with a fire TV or Shield, so still one device. Even figuring the cost of hardware (HDHomeRun box, fireTV's, antenna, etc.), I will be saving money within 3 months. Point is, there is no try here, I am switching and still getting everything I want.
That being said, it's true that some media companies are doing their best to pull their content from converged services to capitalize on the streaming trend and form their own little empires. Who doesn't like the idea of only paying for the 10 channels you watch instead of paying for 500 channels? What they don't seem to understand is that the value still needs to be there. If your channel is available anywhere along with 100 other channels for $35 per month, then the perceived value is about 35 cents per month. Not $5-10 per month. Without a massive library of movies, shows, and original content, few media companies will stand a chance outside of bundled services. HBO, Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, and even Disney can manage this because they have enough to make it worth your $7-15 per month each. Showtime is cheap enough as an "ala carte" on services like PS Vue or Amazon Prime, but barely. CBS? Please, if I were picking and choosing my channels I wouldn't spend more than a dollar per month to add it to my list, especially when most of their content can be watched for free over the air.
Furthermore, the DIY crowd might be interested in running 10 different apps to get their 10 different channels of content, but let's face it, the majority of consumers want it simple and easy. Convergence. Bring it all together in one app. People will pay for the convenience. And then the govt will step in and regulate it, adding taxes, and you will have another version of cable, just without the coax. It's gonna go full circle.
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Topic: So google is yanking youtube from amazon streaming devices.... (Read 3305 times)
